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As Open Doors Project Officer, it is my job to reach out to private tenants from a variety of backgrounds to help them navigate their way through the complexities of the private rented sector. My time in this role has shown me that tenants generally have a good understanding of what is expected of them such as paying rent on time and keeping the property in good condition. However, many still remain in the dark when it comes to their rights; especially the right to live free from discrimination at the hands of their landlord or letting agency. When tenants do not fully understand their rights or are unsure of how to challenge questionable behaviour by their landlord/letting agency, they are more at risk of being mistreated and/or discriminated against.

I spend much of my time speaking with diverse tenants about the validity of their experiences. Very often, they are unsure as to whether they have a right to feel upset by certain actions or behaviours by their landlords or letting agencies. Most of the time, I am reassuring tenants that they are within their rights to make complaints if they have experienced poor practice but unfortunately, some of the cases become so extreme that there is very little that can be done to save the tenancies when tenants do decide to seek support.

In the hope of trying to prevent tenancies from reaching crisis stage, Open Doors has produced two guides for tenants called, ‘Common Issues and how to overcome them’, and ‘Challenging Discrimination’. The aim is that tenants will be able to access these guides to build their knowledge on their rights and know how and where to go for additional support should they need it.